Santa Barbara City Councilwoman Kristen Sneddon said she was recently asked about her legacy.
Sneddon has served for seven years on the City Council. She could run for mayor one day, or stop when her term is up in 2026. She said at Tuesday’s council meeting that whenever her political journey ends, she wants her legacy to be environmental leadership.
“This is it,” Sneddon said, while mentioning that she was getting emotional. “This is the most important in my perspective. When we look at climate change and who extreme weather impacts, it is everyone, every single one of us.”
Sneddon’s comments came on a day when the Santa Barbara City Council voted 7-0 to adopt its Climate Action Plan Resolution. The “living document,” 55 pages, summarizes the City of Santa Barbara’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and its plans for the next two years.
The city has set a goal of carbon neutrality by 2035.
Among its goals, the city plans to reduce energy use emissions by 54%, reduce transportation emissions by 40%, and reduce water, waste and wastewater emissions by 54%.
The report outlines the specific ways the city plans to reach those goals.
Already, in 2021, the city created Santa Barbara Clean Energy, which provides the city with 100% carbon-free electricity. The city also cites its partnership with the ReSource Center at Tajiguas Landfill, which increased diversion rates and reduced methane emissions.
City Council members on Tuesday showered city staff with praise for their work creating the document.
Councilwoman Meagan Harmon, who is also a member of the California Coastal Commission, said she spends a lot of time traveling the state learning about other cities’ Sea Level Adaptation Plans.
“I am continually struck by our plan, how Santa Barbara is at the forefront of that conversation,” Harmon said. “This action today is cementing and solidifying, in my point of view, our place as a leader. I am proud to be part of that work with you and to continue to uphold Santa Barbara’s legacy.”
Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse offered some tempered comments on the plan, reminding staff that not everyone in the public agrees entirely with the city’s goals.
“Everybody in this room, we’re all sitting around the campfire making s’mores and singing ‘Kumbaya’ — that’s great,” Rowse said. “When you go out into the field, you are going to find a whole different set of circumstances and a lot of cynicism.”
He said the public is “really divided just in terms of the red coat, blue coat nature of the country right now.”
The mayor said the key won’t be for city staff to use “hyperbole” and “extremes” when explaining the importance of environmental sustainability.
“The key will be to understand, respect everybody’s lifestyles and try to make a common, kind of blending that lets us go forward in the future,” Rowse said. “We have to make sure we don’t exclude people. We have to include people and listen as we go forward.”
Sneddon said she was thrilled with the council’s action to support the plan.
“This is an incredible day,” Sneddon said. “The time is now.”
